Pierres Droites (Monteneuf)

Trip No.204  Entry No.1  Date Added: 22nd Jun 2020
Site Type: Stone Row / Alignment Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 9th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 5 Access 5

Log Text: The true extent of these stones was only discovered in the last 20 years or so after a forest fire, yet this set of aligned menhirs is probably one of the most important in France. A visitor centre has been set up with interactive displays which show erection of menhirs, building of neolithic homes, crop growing, archaeological excavations etc etc.

Several hundred megaliths have been found here, of which many have now been re-erected in their original socket holes. I found it quite difficult to make out any patterns to what is here, perhaps there are several lines converging, or perhaps there are circles? Many of the stones are quite big, one being over 5 metres tall and 30 tonnes in weight, yet others are little side set slabs. Most are the local schist, yet some are blocks of white quartz, moved here from a good distance away.

This place is most intriguing, and somewhere I need to find out more about.

La Pièce Couverte

Trip No.204  Entry No.5  Date Added: 22nd Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Couldn't find on 9th Jul 2005

Log Text: This is now not much more than a line of a dozen or so slabs positoned in a line of about 10 metres length, and is probably the remains of an allée couverte. Several of the slabs are marked with cupules and symbols.

Les Bordouès

Trip No.204  Entry No.3  Date Added: 22nd Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 9th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: This is the remains of a small allée couverte, 8 metres long and 1.5 metres wide, with only one capstone still in place. There is a small entry porchway, separated from the main chamber by a large slab, at the southeast end. Excavations in 1976 found amongst other things five polished axes. Much of its oval mound still remains. It is to be found about a kilometres marked walk through the forest from the Monteneuf visitor centre.

Lande de Rousse

Trip No.204  Entry No.7  Date Added: 22nd Jun 2020
Site Type: Standing Stones Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 9th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: Beside the track to the Loge Morinais is marked a menhir on the local maps. I had a good look around, and deep into the forest is what looked to me to be a row of fallen menhirs, with one large rock still protruding from the ground. It wouldnt surprise me if there was another row here, like those at the nearby Pierres Droites, or La Pièce Couverte.

La Roche Blanche

Trip No.204  Entry No.4  Date Added: 22nd Jun 2020
Site Type: Round Cairn Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 9th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: This is a nice shining white quartz block within a sort of circle of local schist stones. It is thought to probably mark the grave of an individual, rather than being a collective grave. It can be found about a kilometres walk from the Monteneuf visitors centre, through the forests along a marked trail.

La Loge Morinais

Trip No.204  Entry No.6  Date Added: 22nd Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 9th Jul 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: This is the remains of an allée couverte made of the local purple schist, and can be found in the forest to the north east of the Monteneuf visitors centre, about a kilometre away along a signposted trail. It is about 13 metres long and has an orientation of due east to west. There is an entrance lobby at the east end, and an antichamber at the west, but no capstones remain in place.

It can be easily found from several places with signposted forest walks. The day I was here, there was a nearby target set up for the prehistoric shooting championships.

Mont St Michel

Trip No.203  Entry No.604  Date Added: 13th Jun 2020
Site Type: Ancient Village or Settlement Country: France (Normandie:Manche (50))
Visited: Yes on 28th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 2 Access 4

Log Text: Far too hot and busy and crowded.

La Maison des Feins

Trip No.203  Entry No.600  Date Added: 13th Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Ille-et-Vilaine (35))
Visited: Yes on 28th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 5 Access 4

Log Text: This is a lovely little allée couverte, deep inside a lovely oak forest just to the east of the village of Tressé, and signposted from there. There is a parking area, and a signposted and guided walk footpath from there to find it, along with many other items of interest.

The allée is about 12 metres long, at an orientation of 155°, but it is not much more than a metre wide or high. Truly a house for the fairies. All but the end capstone are still in place, and at the back end there is a nice little additional cell. Within this cell are some exceptional carvings on the southern sidestone, of two pairs of breasts with their collars, on a cartouche giving them a big relief. There are also the remains of two pairs on the chevet stone, but these have been crudely hacked off in the past, leaving just the outlines.

Of course, there are many legends of the fairies who live here in this forest, including the story of a farmer who was given some everlasting bread by the fairies because their cow had become ill, and the farmer had helped them with it. The bread would stay fresh and last forever so long as he never told the story. Of course, one day the farmer did tell the story, and the loaf of bread turned to stone - a stone which can still be seen here today.

Champ Dolent Menhir

Trip No.203  Entry No.602  Date Added: 13th Jun 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Ille-et-Vilaine (35))
Visited: Yes on 28th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 5 Access 5

Log Text: This is a glorious 9 metre tall shaped and sculpted granite menhir, the stone for which has been brought here from over 4 kilometres away. It stands high on a little hillock overlooking the ancient city of Dol, with the rock which has been inhabited for many thousands of years just beyond that. At its base is another small and polished stone, the origins of which are unknown.

Looking carefully at parts of the stone in the shadow, and it wouldn't surprise me if there are carvings on it. Having seen St Samson, it seems possible to make out various crosses and lines and daggers. Or is this just me seeing things now ?

This is of course another stone surrounded by legends and folklore. It is said to be here to commemorate a great battle perhaps. It is also said that it was thrown down from the sky by an over seeing being in order to separate two fighting brothers. Whatever, it is a most wonderful stone. Come and see it for yourselves.

St-Benoit polissoir

Trip No.203  Entry No.605  Date Added: 13th Jun 2020
Site Type: Polissoir Country: France (Normandie:Manche (50))
Visited: Yes on 28th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: I was understanding that this polissoir stone was going to be difficult to find, but thought that I'd give it a go. Luckily for me, since the source of my information was written, it's all been tidied up into a nice little area and signposted. It's about 800m from the village of St Bénoit, up the D.363 to the east, beside the little stream.

The stone itself is a sort of white quartz, about 1.2 metres in length and flat on the ground. In the top face are three polishing bowls, one large, and up to 16 polishing grooves. The little stream which provides its water source to lubricate the polishing is rich in iron ore, and this has caused the stone to stain a rust red colour in its cracks and grooves.

The stone has been dated to 4000BC. Legends have become associated with such a stone, one being that it can cure colic in horses if they are walked around the stone three times, then made to drink the iron rich water within its basins.

Terriffic, I love these polissoir stones.

La Roche Longue (St-Marcan)

Trip No.203  Entry No.603  Date Added: 13th Jun 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Ille-et-Vilaine (35))
Visited: Yes on 28th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: A large slab sided menhir, about 3 metres tall with its wide sides oriented east and west, in a field near to the cemetary to the east of the village of St Marcan, on a slope overlooking the marshes of the bay of Mont St Michel. Whilst I couldn’t get right to it, the menhir is easily visible from the roadside. About 800 metres to the south of this menhir used to stand another similar menhir 2 metres tall, which was destroyed in the 1930s

Four-És-Feins

Trip No.203  Entry No.599  Date Added: 13th Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Ille-et-Vilaine (35))
Visited: Couldn't find on 28th Jun 2005

Log Text: I had a good look around for the remains of this allée couverte, but could find nothing obvious. It's somewhere to the west of the hamlet of Vieux Bourg, beside the north to south expressway.

La Ganterie

Trip No.203  Entry No.598  Date Added: 13th Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 28th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 2 Access 4

Log Text: Just beside the D.676 Dinan to Dol road, at the top of the hill to the east of the hamlet of La Ganterie where the road is a dual carriageway, there is a place to park. From here the allée couverte is signposted along a trackway into a wood, and just 50m along this well tended path the remains are to be found. It is almost impossible to see what is here though, as it is all totally overgrown. It might be a very long allée couverte going by the length of the bramble growth.

I find it very odd that the signposts and path are so well tended, yet the monument is so completely neglected. Never mind, it is still here with us.

Menhir dit la Pierre du Domaine

Trip No.203  Entry No.601  Date Added: 13th Jun 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Ille-et-Vilaine (35))
Visited: Yes on 28th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: This menhir can be found just to the west of the road around the east of Beaufort lake, a bit to the north of the Abbey. It's in a field of wheat, but can be easily seen. I estimate it to be at least 4 metres tall.

Champ des Roches

Trip No.203  Entry No.596  Date Added: 10th Jun 2020
Site Type: Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 27th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 5 Access 4

Log Text: Just behind the churchyard to the south of the village of Pléslin and well signposted is this “field of rocks” which is kept in a nice and shady oak garden and included on a couple of signposted local walks. I didn’t know of this place beforehand despite having been near it several times before, it not being far from St-Malo, yet it is described as Brittany’s third most important site (which seems a bit over the top considering some of the other places).

What it basically consists of these days is about 70 big white quartz stones arranged in 5 lines perhaps 6 which are not quite parallel as they converge towards the east and apparently focus on a large stone of which I found no obvious evidence. It really is a nice quiet calming place away from all the busy roads and bustle of this part of Brittany.

Why are these stones here ? Well legend tells us it was the fairies who were building Mont St-Michel who got tired carrying their stones out to sea and they dropped them here.

Just to the north of the stones is an open field with various structures within it which is used for a festival each year to celebrate the stones. It’s been happening longer than anyone can tell on or around the Fete St Pierre. This year (2005) the “Fête des Megalithes” will happen on Saturday July 16th and there will be a big feast bands playing dancing and fireworks. Within this festival ground there is a large gravel circle with 8 telegraph poles arranged around the outside and then a further 4 at the cardinal points positioned outside them. Various other poles are dotted about some with white painted bottoms some with black. I like to think it is for some ancient dancing and festivity but my sister told me it was probably for a large tent. Surely any tent would come with its own poles !

As I said I didn’t know of this lovely place before I learn something every day. It had a lovely atmosphere and was very pleasant to just sit there in the shade.

La Hautière

Trip No.203  Entry No.593  Date Added: 10th Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 27th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: This is a fairly large allée couverte in a field to the east of the D.768 road between Créhen and Trégon, which had just been cropped for hay when I visited, so it was easy to get to. The main passage is about 14 metres long, oriented to 155°, and has 6 capstones still in place. Many of the sidestones have fallen inwards, so there is not much of a covered passageway left, more a long pile of stones ! The large western endstone can still be seen in its place though.

Ville Bellanger allée couverte

Trip No.203  Entry No.589  Date Added: 10th Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 27th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: Just beside the D.52 road, 3 km north of the village, and a km south of La Bouille and all its industrial sites, can be found this allée couverte, either in somebodies garden, or a little public area besides. The remains are a bit of a jumble, but an allée almost 10 metres long aligned at 050° is clear. Whether it has an external cell at the western end, or whether its a fallen capstone I can not be sure, but the chamber appears to be divided. A pleasant little find, and lots of nice foxgloves growing here at the time of my visit.

Ville Génouhan allée couverte

Trip No.203  Entry No.592  Date Added: 10th Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 27th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: Just to the south of the busy D.786 road between ND de Guildo and Trégon can be found the remains of this allée couverte. I find it strange that although it is signposted, has got a little parking area, is kept within a little grassed area within a field of maize, and has got several hundred metres of well tended footpath to it, the monument itself is left to become thoroughly overgrown.

It's the remains of a fairly standard looking allée couverte 12 metres long with orientation 125°, and there are still 6 capstones in place. Most of the sidestones seem to have collapsed inwards, making much of it not much more than a long pile of stones.

Doigt de Gargantua (Côtes-D'Armor)

Trip No.203  Entry No.591  Date Added: 10th Jun 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 27th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: This 2.5 metre tall, thin menhir stands guard beside the footpath overlooking the splendid Forte de la Latte, at the headland of the same name to the east of Cap Fréhel. On a late June Monday afternoon it was very busy here, and getting a space in the car park was a problem. The bushes surrounding the giant's finger have grown substantially since my last visit several years ago, and now the views from here are severely limited. Before there was a tremendous panorama of all the sea and headlands around, and with the fort below. Not so now.

Dolmen de Ville Goudier

Trip No.203  Entry No.595  Date Added: 10th Jun 2020
Site Type: Passage Grave Country: France (Bretagne:Côtes-D'Armor (22))
Visited: Yes on 27th Jun 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: Marked as a menhir on the ign maps, this large standing stone can be seen from the D.768 road across a field of wheat, about 100 metres away and underneath a pine tree near to the Trégon water tower. I could initially see no way of getting any nearer, and I estimated it to be about 2 metres high. However, I later found a way round the back.

The stone is about 2 metres tall and fairly chunky. There are lots of other large stones around here also, perhaps field clearance, or perhaps this is the remains of a tomb of some kind.